Odds and Ends
by Rubik's Cubed
Summary: A collection of random drabbles and one-shots not long enough to stand on their own, most with RobRae leanings.
1. Oblivious

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Why the hell would I be writing _fan_fiction if I owned it? Crazy kids...

AN: This kinda popped out of nowhere. I was thinking of something to tell someone in response to their telling me something and I was like Oh Em Gee. Just kidding. Not really. It was more like Oh crap, better write that down before I forget. Well I only wrote down part and so I forgot. But whatever you know no harm no foul. Anyways, enough rambling...onwards!!!

* * *

Raven's not as oblivious as she acts. She knows when someone flirts with her or when they like her. After all, she is an empath.

But she wasn't meant for relationships and she knows that about herself. She acts oblivious as a defense mechanism of sorts. If she doesn't encourage it and acts oblivious, then she thinks maybe, just maybe, it'll go away.

It worked once, with Beastboy. For awhile, she did have a crush on him, but it soon changed into an attraction of a brotherly nature. By that time, she knew of his own crush on her and so she tried to push him away in an effort not to lead him on, and she succeeded there. He got over it soon enough, falling for Terra shortly afterwards.

So she tried to make it work a second time, but this time with Robin. The only difference was that this time, she knew it was more than before. And maybe that's why she pushed even harder this time. Pushed him away, even going so far as to act indifferent, something she hated herself for. Because she wasn't oblivious, and she knew what she was doing to him.

And because she wasn't oblivious, she could see how Starfire felt about him, and she knew that no matter how much it may hurt, it was for the best. For all of them. Because Robin deserved better than some cold, unfeeling half-demon, because Starfire deserved the best, and because she was never meant to experience emotions, let alone have a relationship. So she pushed him towards Star and the others did the same. And pretty soon, she could see his interest in her weaning and his attention to Starfire growing.

And then in Tokyo, when Robin and Starfire kissed, she was torn. Torn between happiness for her friends and her longing for him. She was happy for them, but she couldn't help her nagging doubts that maybe thing could have been different, maybe they could have worked out. "Or maybe," she thought, "it'd be easier to be oblivious."

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Okie dokie, so you finished...Let me know what you think, I need some constructive criticism...I mean I'm not quite sure how it came out and are leaving it up to everyone else to tell me. So review please.


	2. Wishes

Disclaimer: Don't own it. End of story.

Okay, so this has been half written for over a year, but I finally finished it and cleaned it up. I still think it sucks and I'm really bad at endings, and actually I'm really bad at writing anything more than a drabbly-looking one-shot. Can you tell I've got commitment problems? Anyways, here it is.

Maybe one day I'll actually finish a story. *Gasp

* * *

They'd broken up years ago. But, still she loved him. Waited for him, even. To come back, to call, anything. But it seemed as if he'd successfully moved on from that chapter of his life, never looking back.

Still, she wondered how things would've, could've worked out if only. If only they hadn't broken up. It was over something stupid, anyways. She couldn't remember what, but they'd blown up at each other and in a fit of rage, she walked out. Just left. When she came back, his stuff was gone and so was he.

She fully expected him to come back sometime, and that they would get back together, but it just never happened. So they stayed apart, until it became six months. Six months quickly transformed into a year, a year transformed into three before she knew it. And now it was too late. But still she wondered. Rachelle wondered about where they'd be now. Married? Engaged? Or was the break-up just inevitable?

Rachelle knew he dated a lot. It was only plastered all over the news. And why wouldn't it be? He was freaking Richard Grayson, heir to Wayne Enterprises. Headlines about who he was escorting to what event were common. But still her mind drifted to the past, reliving the memories of when it was just her and him and nothing else mattered.

And she couldn't help but wonder if he still felt anything at all for her. Nor could she help but hope.

* * *

Now here comes the part where you tell me what you think I could do better, and what you think I did okay on (that one might not be applicable). Anyways, please I implore you to take pity on the poor, tortured soul that thought this up, and would leave a review with hopefully constructive criticism...*awkward smile


	3. Liar, Liar

Created with both Robin and Raven in mind, yet I've gotten into the habit of writing with the use of nameless pronouns. More of a friendship fic. than anything else, just to show the extent of their bond and understanding of each other.

Anyways, I don't own it and hopefully, enjoy.

* * *

"You lie," the words were soft, yet the words hit hard, if not for any reason other than who it was that had said them. The words echoed in her mind for a moment before she realized that she should say something back. "Only about things that aren't important," the words came out rushed, a desperate attempt to justify her position, but which, judging by the look on his face, was not the smartest thing she could have said.

"Well, then what is important?" Though it was phrased a question, he had said it more as a challenge than anything else. There was a pregnant pause that seemed to stretch on for far too long. Every passing second caused the girl to panic a little more at the realization that she couldn't pinpoint anything that was important. Not off-hand, at least. Although, even if someone were to give her an example, she didn't know she could say for sure whether or not she would lie about it. There were no definitive rules about it, because there are always exceptions, and besides, different factors equal different results. What she lied to one person about, she might not be able to comprehend lying to someone else about.

She tried to explain this, but the words got all jumbled when she tried to transfer them from her mind to her mouth and he ended up so confused that she finally just blurted out, "My friends. My friends are important to me," in an attempt to get him to understand that he shouldn't feel slighted. He responded by repeating her words, but it came out in a way that she knew was meant to sting and all too soon she realized why. "So you'd lie to your 'important' friends?" he'd asked, making air quotations when he said important just for emphasis.

"Well, I would, but only if..." she'd started to explain, but he interrupted her mid-sentence with, "It was a yes or no question. A yes or no answer is all that is necessary," and she hated the hated the mocking she could hear in his voice, because it made him sound so condescending towards her, as if he was any better.

"You lie to your friends, too. Don't bother to act like you're any better," she spit angrily.

He looked her straight in the eye and said, "Your right, I do. I won't lie about that," he responded. "But," he continued, "which one of us is the one that claimed not to lie about important things before admitting that we'd lie to our own friends?"

"You don't understand." The way in which the words were said suggested a hint of desperation, although anyone who knew the girl could figure out that she was just frustrated and impatient.

There was a slight touch of sarcasm in his response, although the expression on his face seemed to say that he wanted to make it bite. "Really? Then explain it to me, because I could have sworn that you made both of those statements. Am I wrong?"

"You're not wrong in what I said, but you misunderstood the meaning behind them." She stared back into his mask, where she assumed his eyes to be, refusing to be the first to look away.

The boy's response was to walk away, calling back, "Actually, I do understand. All too well, if you ask me." The second part was said quietly, and almost but not quite wistfully.

"Wait," she called as a flash of inspiration struck. "Repeat what you just said."

He looked at her, brow wrinkled in obvious confusion, but he repeated the statement without questioning it.

"That's why I lie."

For a moment, he just looked at her, before finally giving in and imploring her to explain.

"Well, see, what you just said: that you understand too much implies that you would rather not know. Well, the same thing applies to the truth: sometimes, trust me, you'd just rather not know. So I don't tell you, and it's not because you aren't important, it's because you are.

And he smiled at her, a smile of understanding, and when she returned the smile, he knew, just knew that it was one-hundred percent as true as the explanation she'd just given.

* * *

And I am always happy to receive any feedback you might have. Thanks, Rubiks Cubed.


	4. Coward Idiot Jerk

Hm, I usually dislike first person as a rule, but I thought this one called for it. It's from Robin's pov if you can't tell, although I suppose you could insert whoever you wanted in there, since his name is never mentioned. And just as a reminder, none of these little drabblish one-shot things are related. Sooo...I don't own it and enjoy.

* * *

I try not to have any illusions about myself. Sometimes I can be a real dumbass. That's why I can admit that I screwed up my chance with Rachelle. Let's see: senior year wasn't my best year. It was the year I realized that a bag of chips didn't constitute a meal, that burping really wasn't that funny, and that being good at guitar hero meant absolutely nothing. But all of that is nothing in comparison with what I learned about myself that year: I was a coward.

The first time I met Rachelle, she floored me. Not literally or anything like that. But you know what I mean: she was the first girl I'd met that wasn't instantly impressed just because I could consistently shoot a three and had a killer jump shot. I was in the library, looking for a book I needed for some history project. Since it was common knowledge that she practically lived there, I asked if she could help me.

She looked at me as if I was crazy. "Are you sure you're not lost? You realize you're in the library, right? This isn't the gym."

I looked at her for a moment, trying to decide how to react when I just burst out laughing. "Okay, I admit that was a good one. I'm looking for a book."

She rolled her eyes and for a moment she looked like she was going to make some snappy comeback. But then she gave me a slight smile and sort-of cocked her head for a moment. "I can help you." I was so surprised that it didn't even register that she'd handed me a book, until she'd already turned to leave.

When I looked at the title, I couldn't help but call after her, "Wait."

She turned around, "What now? I did my good deed."

"This isn't the book I need. I need a book on history to do a report on. Somehow, I don't think Mr. Alexander would appreciate me doing it on 'Jane's Adventure'" The book was probably around five pages and consisted of 'See Jane Run. Jane Runs Fast.' I couldn't help but laugh a little. This girl had guts; we'd only met about 5 minutes ago and she'd already dissed me twice.

She smirked a little, "You said you were looking for a book. I gave you one. I don't work here; find it yourself, or do you not know how to use the computer?"

I left to find a computer, knowing that this wasn't over. When I located the book I'd need, I found Rachelle on tiptoe the next aisle over, trying to reach a book. I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine, "Need a ladder?"

"You think you could give me a hand?" she asked. "Or is that too complicated a task for you?"

"Sure." I smiled extra big and then started clapping excessively. "There. I gave you a hand."

That's pretty much how the rest of that encounter turned out, both of us making snappy comments back and forth. When I had to leave for basketball practice, I could sincerely say I enjoyed my time with her.

Everytime I saw her after that, my heart would start beating madly in my chest kind of like it did when we were running low on time and were behind on a team. So I started experimenting with my routes to class and lo and behold – I started seeing her more often. Even though we didn't exactly say anything to each other, we didn't have to. We'd just see each other and she'd throw a piece of paper at me, imitating a basket and laugh. I'd put my nose in a book and pretend to run into trash cans.

Somewhere around a week had passed and our game was still going. I came back to my locker to find a note taped to it. Seems that _someone_ had stolen my homework and if I expected it back, I needed to meet her at a local coffee shop.

I found that I could talk to Rachelle about anything: my fears for the future, how I lost my virginity, and my secret love for romance movies. After that, we dated for a while and I found that Rachelle had become my best kept secret. I was getting pretty vague when I blew off practice or missing out on the gaming marathons that had practically become ritual.

The guys finally cornered me one day after coming to the conclusion that I must be depressed or something. I finally decided to tell them about Rachelle and me. "Rachelle? The girl with purple hair and high tops? You slumming or something?"

I figured after their initial ribbing it would stop. But not a day passed that somebody didn't make some kind of a crack about her. I finally got pissed enough to tell them off when someone asked me if I was going to make her wear a bag over her head at prom. But then their ribbing wasn't just joking around anymore. They would forget to tell me about practice, neglect to invite me to team events and the lunch table all of a sudden became too full for me.

I'd decided I had enough. I stopped talking to Rachelle. I would purposefully avoid seeing her at school, ignore her calls, make plans to meet her and then just not show up. I was hoping I could get out of this easily and nobody would really know about it. But Rachelle wasn't easy. She demanded I tell her what was going on. I told her I'd meet her later and explain, but I chickened out last minute and ditched her.

The next day, she was furious. She called me out in front of everyone; she called me a coward and said that she wished she'd never met me. Then she gave my friends the letters I'd written her. They cracked up, reading them aloud and I all I could do was stand there, mortified.

I wasn't embarrassed, because I'd been humilitiated, but because I knew she was right. I looked over at my 'friends' and I realized what a huge mistake I'd made. I tried to apologize. I begged; I pleaded; I did everything I could think of to try to get her to take me back. But like I said, Rachelle wasn't easy. She completely ignored me.

Rachelle ended up going to college in another state, and I never heard from her again. I know that I can't change what happened, so I guess I'm glad I learned what I did. I still think about her though and I wonder what could have been.

* * *

I feel like the ending is too similar to, well - every other ending I write. Let me know what you think, though. About anything.


	5. One Thing

No romance. More of a friendship fic than anything. Kind of inspired by a line from a song that just kind of resonated with me. Hope you like it.

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"Why are you always listening to music?" The question came from out of the blue and Rachelle paused for a moment from her work to look at the boy next to her. She couldn't quite remember his name, though they'd sat next to each other for the better part of a semester. Was it Ryan? No. Roy? No. When she was honest with herself, she found she didn't really care what the boy's name was.

"I'm not always listening to music." Her voice was dull, practically monotone and Richard couldn't help but wonder if it was always like that or reserved for people she didn't like. He got the distinct impression it was the latter, although who did she like? He'd hardly seen her talk to anyone.

"You know what I mean. When you're not doing work, you're listening to music. You hardly talk at all," he clarified. "And I'm curious as to why."

"I like music more than most people." She answered simply, as if he were a small child that needed something completely obvious explained.

"I understand that music has a certain allure to it; I know lots of people who love music, but that doesn't mean they shut out the world." His tone was sharper, more accusatory than he'd intended and for a half-second, he was scared that he'd been too harsh with her.

But then she answered. "You misunderstand my meaning, I think. When I say I like music more than most people, I mean I like music more than most people do." He looked confused for a moment before she continued, "However, I also mean that I like music more than I like most people."

He looked at her, his mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise. "Why?"

She looked at him, a sideways glance that almost made her look cute. "Aren't you the curious one? I don't really wish to have this conversation with you, but if we must, can it wait until we're out of the classroom?"

He spent the remainder of the class shooting her subtle looks every now and then, wondering about her response. At least, he thought they were subtle, but he was proved wrong when she whispered fiercely, "Would you stop doing that? It's making me very uncomfortable."

She finished her work before him and was out the door the next second. Vaguely panicked, he rushed to turn in his assignment so he could follow her. He found her sitting on a bench outside Slocum Hall with her damned headphones stuck in her ear again. He sat down next to her and she stood. "I have to go to class. Sorry." And turned and headed into the building.

He doubted she was really sorry, but that was ok. Eventually he'd get an answer; he was very persistent.

He didn't have class with the girl (was her name Rachelle?) for two more days, but he was determined to catch her sometime before then. As it turned out though, he didn't see her until then. They had a lab that day, so he convinced her to go to a late lunch with him after it was over.

As they sat, him eating a sandwich, her drinking tea, he started awkwardly, "So…" He got no conversational help from her; she merely raised an eyebrow. "You never answered my question," he elaborated.

"Oh, didn't I?" She was feigning ignorance and they both knew it. "What question was that?"

"Why do you like music more than most people? I mean, don't you know life's too short to hide behind a shitty pair of headphones?" He wasn't sure if she picked up on the forcefulness behind the questions, but she looked at him wearily.

"That's where we obviously don't agree. Life's too short to bother making bonds with people. Bad things can result. Life's too short to bother with it. At least with my music, it's safe. I know what to expect. There's no drama in it at all." She surprised even herself with her answer; she hadn't intended to be so forthcoming.

Her words made an odd sort of sense, yet he still couldn't understand how someone could choose a life without emotional attachments. For some reason, he wanted her to experience the joy of friendship, so on impulse, he said, "Meet my friends."

"Fine. I'll meet your friends," she agreed, "but that doesn't mean that I'm making friends with them. For that matter, it doesn't even mean that you and I are friends. Just…acquaintances. Distant acquaintances."

"Rachelle, meet Victor, Garfield and Kori. Guys, this is Rachelle. She'll be hanging out with us from time to time."

Kori, in typical Kori fashion, immediately stood and engulfed Rachelle in a hug. Sensing Rachelle's discomfort, Richard intervened, "Uh Kor, I don't think she can breathe."

"Oh friend Rachelle, my apologies," Kori exclaimed, "It is just so joyous to meet you."

"Right," Rachelle said, drawing out the word, clearly unsure of how to react.

"Hey, nice hair." This comment came from Garfield. She looked at his; it was green. "Too bad I can't say the same," she replied.

A loud booming laugh. "This girl's funny," Victor said. He noticed that she looked at him almost expectantly. He smiled, "Don't look at me like, I'm like the only sane one around here."

And that was how it began. The formation of the less than likely group Rachelle now called friends. She knew that since she'd met them, she'd spent less time with her headphones in and more time smiling. She ate lunch with this odd group almost every day. She must have smiled at the memory, because Richard asked her what she was thinking of. Her response: "Oh, I was just recalling the day that some nosy jackass begin heckling me with questions." And though the nosy jackass statement was almost true, she found that she didn't regret their meeting, not for a second. Not that she would tell him that.

* * *

I still have a problem with ending things. Not sure if this one quite covered it. If you would like to offer advice of any form for anything really, I am always open to suggestions. Hope you enjoyed it.


	6. Fight or Flight

Really really short. I thought it was enough, for this one. But maybe you disagree.

As usual, the characters are unnamed. You can see this as you want. You can even input whatever the words were, as you imagined them. When I wrote this, I did it with specific characters and specific words in mind.

Insert disclaimer here. Own nothing.

* * *

The words were simple enough, but they still activated her fight or flight response. She'd never known exactly how to deal with things like this. So she did the only thing she knew.

First she fought. Over nothing. Over everything.

The she flew.

Now she's gone.

* * *

I know it was short, but would you like to tell me what you thought? Because I would like it.

Also, I do have written the scene that preceded this one. I just didn't think it flowed with the rest of it. But if you would like me to post it, this is very doable.


	7. Sometime Around Midnight

I know this idea has been done before, but I really love this song and I've wanted to write something for it since the first time I heard it.

I also know this idea has been done with this pairing before, but I really do believe that it just seems to have them stamped all over it. It's just that sort of melancholy, nostalgic undertone. Oh, it's also AU, as I so commonly do.

* * *

Before Richard turned 23, he'd never gone out for New Year's. He'd never felt the need. When Roy, his sometimes best friend, had found out, he'd insisted on accompanying Richard to his first ever New Year's night out. After that, it had become somewhat like tradition. It didn't matter what city they were in, but they always went out. This is how he ended up almost but not quite drunk out in Jump City, his old stomping grounds.

He's been drinking since 9:30 and it's almost midnight. The alcohol has definitely gone to his head, but he's suddenly sobered when he catches a glimpse of familiar purple hair. She's changed a lot, but there's no hiding that unmistakable hair. The bar lights are right behind her head, so he can't really see her face, but he can see her smile. And he can hear the band playing like the background music in some movie moment. Except this isn't a movie and (he actually pinches himself) it's not a dream either. No, this is really happening. She is really right there in that white dress and goddamn, it's been so long.

He knows that she sees him and he can see her turning, can see her laughing, can see her clutching her drink as if her life depended on it. He knows her, can spot her tells from a mile away, even after all this time. She's turning to avoid eye contact; her laugh is too forced, too contrived as she tries to seem more engaged in her conversation. And well, she's holding her drink that tightly because she's obviously nervous.

He knows eye contact is unavoidable when they're both stealing as many glances as they are and when it finally happens, she smiles that little half-smile she gives when she's unsure if she should be smiling or not. And suddenly, she's not smiling at him from across the room, but standing right in front of him asking how he is. The room is suddenly spinning more than it was before (or is that just his nerves?) She's just close enough for him to smell the familiar scent of her perfume (she always was a creature of habit) and at once, Richard can't help but to imagine what it felt like to hold her in his arms, her hair in his face. The rush of thought and emotion he'd long held at bay seems to assault him at once and he can only manage to choke out a simple, "Good. How about you?" He knows how she hates fake pleasantries and that if she asked, she meant it and expected him to say something more substantial than just 'good,' but it's too late to take it back. She tries to give a smile, but her mouth barely tugs up at the corners, betraying her disappointment. "I'm doing well, thank you." And just like that, what could have been a conversation is over in only twelve words.

She leaves with a dark-haired man Richard has never seen before. But then, Richard doesn't know jack shit about her life anymore, so it's no surprise that he doesn't know the guy. Hell, for all he knows, Raven or Rachel or whatever she's going by these days doesn't know the guy either. As she's leaving, she shoots a look back over her shoulder, seeking him out. Then she can't get out the door fast enough. It's that last look that reaches him in a way that he knows he can't just let her walk away…again.

He passes by Roy as he's making his mad dash for the exit and barely stops long enough to spit out, "Be back later. Rachel." Roy knows him well enough to be able to decipher what that means, even though Richard himself is not exactly sure what it means at this point in time. All he knows right now is that he just needs to see her again. He's knows that if he allows her to leave now, he's going to regret it for a long time. He just knows it, can feel it. He just needs to see her, even if it means traveling to the depths of hell or the end of the world.

* * *

Alright, so again I kind of leave the ending open. And I always have trouble with endings, I feel like they are too abrupt, but I don't really know how to fix that.

Anyways, let me know what you think about, whether you liked it or not. I appreciate feedback. Thank you for reading.

Sorry, one more thing. See what I did at the end there? C; (I couldn't resist.)


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